HAITI ELECTIONS: NATIONAL TURNOUT 30.6%

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000722

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR
DRL
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA)
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KDEM HA
SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS: NATIONAL TURNOUT 30.6%

REF: PAUP 721


1. CEP officials informed Emboff the morning of April 24 that
with 98% of results tallied, voter turnout for the second
round on April 21 was 30.6 nationally. The West Department,
including Port-au-Prince and representing roughly one third
of the total population, registered 20% turnout. The
Northeast registered the highest turnout of any individual
department at 47%. The CEP expected to complete vote
tallying by 1400 and has scheduled a press conference for
that time. CEP Director Jacques Bernard informed Emboff that
with several races running neck-and-neck, he preferred to
withhold partial results and post all final results on-line
at the conclusion of the press conference. The CEP and
MINUSTAH appear to have replicated their successful
organization of election day with further successes in
rapidly transporting and tallying election results from the
field much quicker than expected. CEP officials at the
tallying center reported that all but 47 of the over 2000
tally sheets had arrived at the vote tabulation center.


2. Comment. The larger than anticipated turnout belies
earlier statements from international observers, notably from
the chief of the EU's observer mission, that low-turnout had
somehow marred the second round result. The chief of Haiti's
domestic non-partisan National Observer Council told Polcouns
on April 24 that the CNO would shortly publicize a positive
evaluation of the second round. While reports of small-scale
disruptions continue to filter in from the field, overall
accounts overwhelmingly indicate a successful election in all
organizational and security aspects.
SANDERSON